NUJ applauds DSS leadership, confers Man of the Year Award on Ajayi

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has honoured the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, with its prestigious Man of the Year Award in recognition of his efforts in strengthening collaboration between security agencies and the media.

The honour was announced at the conclusion of the NUJ National Security Summit held in Abuja from June 18 to 19, 2026.

The summit, themed “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building,” was organised by the NUJ in collaboration with the DSS and brought together media executives, journalists, security chiefs, policymakers, academics, civil society groups and development partners to discuss strategies for addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

According to the NUJ, the award reflects Mr. Ajayi’s commitment to promoting openness, dialogue and mutual understanding between security institutions and the media, which it described as critical to national stability, democratic development and effective nation-building.

The union noted that under Ajayi’s leadership, the DSS has consistently engaged media stakeholders through constructive interactions aimed at fostering trust, reducing misinformation and enhancing cooperation in the national security communication landscape.

Presenting the award, NUJ National President Comrade Alhassan Yahaya Abdullahi described the summit as a timely intervention in the face of rising security threats, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, violent extremism and separatist agitations.

He stressed that national security remains a collective responsibility that requires ethical journalism, accurate reporting and stronger collaboration among key institutions.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who chaired the summit, commended both journalists and security agencies for their complementary roles in safeguarding the country. He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to intelligence-driven security operations, inter-agency cooperation and technological modernisation.

Several speakers highlighted the importance of the media in shaping public understanding of security issues.

Political economist Professor Okey Ikechukwu emphasised the need for strategic communication to bridge information gaps and counter harmful narratives, while Musikilu Mojeed, President of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, stressed that press freedom and national security should be balanced through dialogue and due process.

The President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Aisha Ibrahim, called for greater inclusion of women in peacebuilding and security governance.

Participants at the summit identified misinformation, youth marginalisation and drug abuse as emerging threats to national security and recommended sustained dialogue between media organisations and security agencies, improved transparency in official communication, enhanced fact-checking mechanisms, joint capacity-building programmes and greater investment in education and youth development.

The summit also urged increased funding for security agencies to strengthen operational capacity through modern technology and logistics.

In its communiqué, the NUJ expressed appreciation to the DSS leadership for supporting the summit and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting responsible journalism, press freedom and constructive engagement with security institutions in the national interest.